1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a convenient process for producing a nitrile which is useful as a perfume or as a raw material for the synthesis of perfumes, medicines, and the like in high yields.
2. Description of the Background
It is known that a nitrile can be prepared from a corresponding aldoxime by dehydration in the presence of a basic catalyst such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide (see WO 93/02046). According to this technique, an aldoxime is heated in the presence of the basic catalyst while product water is removed by distillation from the reaction system to give a nitrile in high yield. However, when this technique is applied to an aldoxime having a geometric isomer, such as 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienoxime, the result is that the cis-trans ratio of the nitrile product is different from that of the raw oxime because of isomerization that has taken place during dehydration for unknown reasons, failing to provide a nitrile with the desired physical properties.